Sulfonate detergent blend



United States Patent SULFONATE DETERGENT. BLEND Frederick Neil Bauingaitner, (Iranfor-d, N. 3., assignor to Essa Research and Engineering (Iernpany, a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. Application March 31, 195%), Serial No. 153,309

8 Claims. (Ci. 2521o1) The invention relates to a novel detergent composition. More particularly the invention is concerned with a detergent comprising as active ingredients a blend of alkyl aryl sulfonates.

Alkyl aryl sulfonates prepared by the alkylation of an aromatic nucleus with branched-chain olefins (such as obtained by polymerizing low molecular weight olefins, e. g. propylene) and subsequent sultonation of the alkylate are now established as good detergents for general purposes. However, these compounds possess only mediocre detersivc properties at low concentrations (less than 0.25%

It is the purpose of this invention to prepare a detergent having good detersive properties at low concentrations.

It is also an object of this invention to modify the detersive activity of a branched-chain alkyl aryl sulfonate to confer upon it good detersive properties at low concentrations.

It has been found that a superior detergent is prepared by blendin a detergent sulfonate of the type:

where R is a branched-chain alkyl radical of 9 to 18 carbon atoms and M is an alkali metal with 2.5 to 50 weight per cent or preferably, 5 to 50 Weight per cent, based on the total sulfonate blend, of a straight-chain secondary alkyl aryl sulfonate of the formula:

where R is a straight-chain alkyl radical of l5 carbon atoms, R" is a straight-chain alkyl radical of 8-14 carbon atoms Where the sum of R and R" is 9-15, and M is an alkali metal. The detersive power of the resulting blend of sulfonates is substantially superior at low concentrations (up to 0.25 grn./ 100 ml.) to that of the branchedchain detergent or the straight-chain detergent alone, and greater than the additive effect of both compounds.

Launder-Oineter data on the synergistic effect of typical blends are given in Table I. in the table data are given for a typical dodecylbenzene suifonate prepared by alkylating benzene with a Gig-branched olefin (prepared by polymerizing propylene) and thereafter sulronating the alkylate and neutralizing, as indicated by compound D. The presence of weight per cent of a straight-chain secondary alkyl aryl sulfonate, compositions E, F, G, H, etc., in a blend with 75 weight per cent of D produces an unexpectedly large rise in detergency over that of D at concentrations below 3.2 gm./ 100 ml. At the same time the presence of these substances does not materially alter the detersive power of D at higher concentrations. It is also to be noted that blends of D with a branched-chain secondary alkyl aryl sulfonate possess no advantage over D alone and are exceedingly poor in hard waters (Blend N, Table I).

TABLE I Launder-Ometer data [Runs made on active mixtures using United States Testing Co. cloth] Soil Removal 1 240 p. p. in. Hard Water, Conc. I 1 .15 2 .35 .5

1 A B O A B C A B O A A D, 0 2 polypropyl benzene sulfonate 1O 40 85 130 110 Blend Composition75% of D and 25% Sodium Sulronate of:

E, 2-Phenyldodecane 75 10 65 115 25 90 105 90 105 F, S-Phenyhmdecme..- 60 5 85 25 90 60 95 90 G, 3-Phenyldodecane 80 10 70 110 30 E0 125 100 110 H, 3-Phenyltridecane 25 45 110 50 60 110 100 I. 4'Phenylundecane 4D 5 35 80 2O 60 45 115 J 4Phenyldodecane 25 10 15 65 25 40 100 50 K 4-Phenyltr1decane 35 10 25 55 35 20 8O 60 100 85 L, 5-Phenyldodecaue... 2O 5 15 50 15 35 80 40 95 95 M, fi-Phenyldodecane 50 5 45 80 15 65 40 110 95 N, 2-Methyl-5-phenylundecane 0 15 S5 110 115 O, Dodecylbenzene 3 35 25 10 95 50 45 100 90 110 90 P, Tetradecylbenzene 4 40 5 35 65 15 F 75 4O 95 100 A, Measured soil removal-Launder-Ometer Method.

B, Expected soil removal-Oa1culated from soil removal values for the individual components. 0, DifterenceMeasured soil removal minus expected soil removal.

1 Soil removal relative to Dreit at 0.5% in 240 p. p. in. hard water as 100.

Concentration expressed as g/100 nil-40% active ingredients.

5* Prepared by alkylating benzene with l-dodecene (mixture of isomers).

4 Prepared by alkylating benzene with 1-tetradecene (nurture of isomers).

'3 Thesame synergistic eifect is also noted when as little as 2.5% of the straight-chain secondary alkyl aryl sulfonate is used as shown in the following Table II.

TABLE H Lazmder-Ometer data where R is a straight-chain alkyl radical of 15 carbon atoms, R" is a straight-chain alkyl radical of 8-14 carbon [Runs made on 40% active mixtures using United States Testing 00. cloth] Soil Removal 1 240 P. P. M. Hard Water, Cone Blend GompositionActive Ingredients .1 .15 2 .35 5

- Percent Ci; Percent 2- Polypropylben- Phenyldodeo- A B C. A B O A B C A A zene Sulfonate ane Sultanate 100 l0 40 85 130 110 97. 2. 5 50 40 75 40 35 105 80 100 90 95 5 70 10 60 125 90 120 70 110 100 90 10 5 60 120 35 85 120 50 115 95 85 15 80 5 7 110 30 80 115 65 50 110 105 25 75 10 65 115 25 90 105 50 55 90 105 65 35 90 p 10 100 15 3O 60 85 85 50 50 80 10 70 85 5 80 105 25 80 85 80 A, Measured soil rerimval-Launder-Ometer Method.

l Soil removal relative to drett at 0.5% in 240 Concentration expressed as g./100 ml.-40% active ingredients.

The straight-chain secondary alkyl benzenes are prepared according to well-known chemical reactions. One

' Friedel-Crafts type catalyst.

The sulfonates are prepared by reaction of the alkyl aryl hydrocarbons with S03, mixtures ofSOs and S02, chlorosulfonic acid, fuming sulfuric acid, etc. followed by neutralization'with the alkali whose sulfonate .is desired.

The reactions by which the components of the synergistic mixtures of this invention are prepared are well known in the art and form no part of this invention. It will also be understood that the recital of consisting essentially of leaves the appended claims open for the inclusion of unspecified ingredients which do not materially afiect the basic and novel characteristics of the claimed compositions. V V

Having described the invention in a manner such that it may be followed by one skilled in the art, what is claimed is:

. 1. A detergent composition consisting essentially of a sulfonate compound (A) of the formula:

soar/1 where R is a branched-chain alkyl radical of 9-18 carbon atoms and M is an alkali metal, and 2.5 to 50 wt. based on the total sulfonate blend, of asulfonate compound (B) of the formula:

SOaM

p. p. m. hard water as 100.

atoms, where the sum of the carbon atoms in R and R is 915, and M-is an alkali metal.

2. A detergent composition consisting essentially sodium ciz-polypropylbenzene sulfonate and 2.5 to weight per cent, based on the total sulfonate blend, the sodium sulfonate' of Z-phenyldodecane.

3. A detergent composition consisting essentially of sodium cia-polypropylbenzene sulfonate and 2.5 to 50 weight per cent, based on the total sulfonate blend, of the sodium sulfonate of 4-phenylundecane.

4. A detergent composition consisting essentially sodium Ciz-polypropylbenzene sulfonate and 2.5 to weight per cent, based on the total sulfonate blend, the sodium sulfonate of 3-phenylundecane.

5. A detergent composition consisting essentially sodium Crz-polypropylbenzene sulfonate and 2.5 to weight per cent, based on thetotal sulfonate .blend, the sodium sulfonate of 3-phenyldodecane.

6. A detergent composition consisting essentially sodium Ciz-polypropylbenzene sulfonate and 2.5 to weight per cent, based on the total sulfonate blend, the sodium sulfonate of 3-phenyltridecane.

7. A detergent composition consisting essentially a mixture of a sulfonate compound of the formula of 50 of of 50 of of 50 of alkali metal salt of a sulfonated 2-phenyl 'alkane, in

which the alkane portion is a straight chain normal alkane containing from 10 to 16 carbon atoms, the sulfonatedphenyl alkane being present in an amount from about 5% to about 50% by Weight of said mixture.

8. An aqueous solution of a detergent mixture consisting essentially of a detergent sulfonate (A) of the SOzM where R is a branched-chain alkyl radical of 9-18 carbon atoms, R" is a straight-chain alkyl radical of 8-14 carbon atoms and M is an alkali metal, and 2.5 to 50 weight atoms, where the sum of carbon atoms in R and R is per cent, based on the total detergent sulfonate, of a de- 915, and M is an alkali metal, the detergent mixture tergent sulfonate (B) of the formula: being present in the aqueous solution in a detersive 5 amount of up to about 0.25 gm. per 100 ml.

References Cited in the file of this patent 803M UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 2,232,118 Kyrides Feb. 18, 1941 a a Where R is a straight-chain alkyl radical of 1-5 carbon 477 383 Lewls July 26 1949 

1. A DETERGENT COMPOSITION CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A SULFONATE COMPOUND (A) OF THE FORMULA: 